5 Tips for Creating an Organized Entryway
September is a great time to fall back into a routine. Things get crazy and carefree over the summer, so restoring your space is always a good feeling as summer winds down and routines pick up again. A place we always love to get our hands on is the entryway. It’s a high-traffic area that everyone in the family passes through multiple times a day. It can easily become a drop-zone, turned into a pile, turned into… a mess. Let’s get you organized and make your entryway feel welcoming!
1) Design your entryway with function in mind.
Do you need it to act as a command center for your large family with busy schedules? You might need a large white board calendar to keep track of everything before heading out the door. If you’re always dropping mail on the console table, maybe you need a mail organizer and a recycling bin. Are you hoping for a more minimal look? Keep coats and accessories stored in a nearby closet so the entryway can be open and clutter-free.
2) Know your tendencies.
If your family members aren’t going to open the coat closet to hang up their jacket and shut it daily, buy a hook for each member’s everyday coat right by the front door. If packages are always ending up being dropped by the door, make a space for them, or decide to change that habit and unbox your package as soon as you receive it. Note what is living in the space now and what could change. We have a client with three children and a rule that everyone takes shoes off when they enter the house and carries them to their room. That might sound crazy and unrealistic, but it works for them!
3) Get as much as you can off the ground.
Hang everything up – not just coats. Keys, bags, leashes, etc. Getting everything off the ground makes it so much easier to clean. We hate to see people vacuuming around their stuff (AKA never getting to all the dirt and dust). For example, we love using these angled shoe shelves to get shoes and boots contained and tidy.
4) Add labels where you can – especially in a closet.
It may seem obvious where things need to go, but since many people are using the same space, it’s good to make it as clear as possible. Something we love to do is to give every family member his or her own bin. They can have their essentials (whatever they decide) and it won’t get lost or mixed in with other categories. We love these bins and labels for a mudroom.
5) Set realistic expectations for your entryway space.
As we mentioned, this is a highly trafficked area. It’s not going to look pristine daily. We’d love to get to that point, but that isn’t always realistic. Having a system so you know where things go and how to tidy up is what matters.
TLD Favorites: elfa gliding shoe shelves and angled shoe shelves to keep shoes off the ground, over the door racks for closets, this organizing system or this one for a modern home aesthetic, these hooks for kids, and anything with drawers.
Unpopular opinion: We don’t like benches! Although they look very nice and provide a comfortable seat to put your shoes on, it’s not always the best solution. Now if it’s a bench with storage, that might be a different conversation. Having an open bench with shoes underneath isn’t really putting them away – you’ll still see the visual clutter. We prefer having baskets (again divided by category or family member) to conceal and contain your items.
While the entrance of your home can vary in size and how it needs to function, we think these tips are useful no matter your obstacles. Knowing you and your family’s tendencies and designing around them will create a better system for everyone.
